What Could Have Happened
by MissyLyssie
Summary: What could have happened if Rodney didn't figure out how to save himself. Character Death. My first story. Spoilers for Tao of Rodney.


A/N - I was reading the transcript from this episode when this idea hit me. Because of that, this was originally written in transcript format. Italics indicate actual dialogue from the episode, although I have had to change it into story format.

I said in the summary that this is my first story. However, this is my first story posted here, I have written other stories before this.

WARNING! CHARACTER DEATH!!

Please R&R

EDIT: I have fixed up the punctuation and some of the sentence structure. It was a pain because it doesn't really work in the tense I usually write in.

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"_The synaptic activity in your brain has reached over 90 percent-" Carson says, turning away from the monitor at Rodney's bedside. Ronon and Teyla stand beside the bed, the latter with her hands in a praying gesture._

"-_And I don't know why, but it seems the more pervasive evolved state of the cortex is causing lapses in the lower brain function. It's almost as if your body's losing its natural ability to keep itself alive," Carson finishes. Rodney looks up at him weakly._

"_When ascension occurs naturally, the physical body's no longer necessary in the final stages," Elizabeth says from her position next to John on the other side of the bed._

"_Rodney, I don't know how much more you can take," Carson states._

"_About six percent?" Rodney responds with a grim smile._

"_There must be something we can do," John protests. Rodney shakes his head slightly._

"_It's ok. You know, I'm actually feeling a sense of peace… interspersed with moments of sheer terror, of course," he responds._

"_Rodney, as far as this ascension thing, I know you didn't have much success but at this point, what've you got to lose?" John asks._

"_May as well go out fighting, huh?" Rodney concedes._

"_Absolutely," John responds. Rodney turns his head to look at Carson._

"_Hook me up," he commands. Carson nods and picks up the headband._

"_Carson? Thank you. Thank you for everything," Rodney says._

"_I only wish I could have done more, my friend," Carson replies softly._

"_Clear blue skies. All my troubles, just drifting away. Ok… stop talking now," Rodney murmurs, closing his eyes. John smiles to himself._

"_Rodney, you're a good person. Know that we love you," Elizabeth says gently._

"_You love me? Really? All of you?" Rodney asks with a smile, eyes still closed._

"_In a way one friend feels about another friend," John amends awkwardly._

"_You're just saying that because I'm gonna die. Oh, God. I can't believe I'm gonna die," Rodney says quietly, but plaintively. John and Elizabeth share an alarmed look_

"_Alright – just back to the blue skies. Let your thoughts go. Concentrate on your breathing," John instructs. Rodney lies with his eyes closed, concentrating. After a few seconds the monitor beeps and his EEG reading shows 03 Hz. It goes down to 02, then 01._

"_Oh, my god," Carson mutters, turning away. Suddenly Rodney surges up in the bed and grabs Carson by the lapels of his medical coat. He stares frantically into Carson's eyes. As Carson gazes back in shock, the EEG reading races up to 62 then plummets back downwards again. Rodney's eyes roll up into his head and he drops back down onto the bed. Behind Carson, the EEG reading shows zero and the message "No reading" flashes._

"He's gone," Carson murmurs sadly, his gaze still on Rodney's face. Teyla drops her head into her hands in grief. Ronon places his hand on her shoulder. John tries to keep a stoic façade but fails and looks down at the floor as his eyes tear up. Elizabeth makes a small sound as she chokes back a sob.

"Why did he grab your jacket?" John asks quietly. Carson looks around at everyone else.

"I guess he wanted to tell me something," he answers.

"And?" Ronon asks, speaking up for the first time. Everyone looks expectantly at Carson.

"He said… thank you," Carson says softly. Elizabeth gives in to her sobs as tears stream down her face. John places a hand on her back and she turns to him, her arms wrapped around her waist, tears running down her face. John's face falls and he pulls her into a hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"Oh… umm…" Carson stutters. Everyone turns to look, and are surprised to see the place, where Rodney's body just was, glowing. Soon what looks like a glowing jellyfish rises up above the bed and slowly disappears.

"He did it!" Carson says in awe.

"He ascended?" Teyla asks, confused. Carson looks at her.

"Aye love, he did," he responds. Teyla bows her head and turns around to Ronon, who was standing behind her. They share a look before leaving the infirmary, Ronon slipping an arm around her shoulders as they walk out. Carson leaves to attend to other patients in an attempt to keep his mind off what happened. John and Elizabeth are the only ones left.

"Come here," John orders softy, tugging her arm gently. Elizabeth crushes herself into him, laying her head on her chest where she could still see the bed where their friend just ascended from.

"He's gone…" Elizabeth murmurs sadly.

"He is, but he's not dead. Remember that," John responds, kissing her on the top of the head, "Come on." He reluctantly pulls out of their embrace, but keeps his arm around her shoulders. She puts hers around his waist and they leave the room. John gives the bed one last glance and sighs as they leave the room.

-fin-


End file.
